Porcelain Veneers

• They have the ability to change your smile
• They are durable
• They look natural

Everything has a finite lifespan. We are often asked this question and while it’s difficult to answer directly, there are a number of factors which influence success:

• How much natural tooth structure is available: the more enamel the higher the bond strength and the better the outcome
• How dark is the tooth: the darker the tooth, the more tooth structure that will need to be removed to achieve a satisfactory aesthetic outcome, but the strength of the remaining tooth may be compromised
• The position of the tooth: if a tooth is sticking out, more tooth structure will need to be removed to achieve a satisfactory aesthetic outcome
• The bite: We’ll look at how your teeth come together. Are they hitting each other with excessive force each time? This has a direct influence on the success of the veneers. On the other hand, if teeth are missing at the back, more stress is placed on the front teeth increasing the risk of a fracture. A crooked bite can also produce unfavourable stresses on the bonded material.
• Teeth that are root filled have a higher chance of fracture: this is because they do not have the moisture that a vital tooth has and therefore are more brittle. Root-filled teeth usually are heavily restored and therefore have less natural tooth structure. (The more remaining tooth structure the better).
• Existing fillings in a tooth: This generally means that there is less natural tooth structure to bond the new porcelain veneers.
• Your mouth is always changing: Teeth are always moving, the muscles and gums around your teeth are exerting forces that influence tooth stability. With age, teeth become more brittle and more likely to fracture or chip. So, what might be an exceptional outcome today may present problems down the line, simply due to wear and tear and other presenting issues that were not there initially.

Bad habits like grinding and clenching can overload the teeth and veneers, considerably increasing the risk of fracture and excessive wear. Small chips however, can be repaired quite easily. Other factors include:

• Chewing nails, pencils etc. can increase the chances of fracturing the porcelain material.
• Smoking and coffee/tea drinking increases the likelihood of stains accumulating around the porcelain veneers as well as around and through your natural teeth. The porcelain material itself is resistant to foods that stain. If any stains however, do accumulate on the porcelain veneers they can easily be polished away.
• General oral hygiene care – daily brushing and flossing means that the teeth around the veneers will be free of decay and your gums will be
• With regular dental visits, we will monitor the condition of the veneers

First visit

We discuss and gather as much information as possible. This is in order to fulfil your expectations and create the smile you are after. Photos, an intra-oral scan and primary impressions are taken during this visit to give you an idea of what you will look like once the job is complete. It is a simple five-minute reversible procedure called a “mock-up”.

A mock-up simply means a “trial smile”. It allows you the exciting prospect of actually being part of your own smile transformation. We apply an appropriately coloured composite resin material over your teeth that helps enhance your smile and changes the shape and form of your teeth. This will in turn close gaps between your teeth, or helps simulate the natural balance between the gum line and the teeth. It also allows you time to try out your new cosmetic teeth.

The “trial smile” lasts a few hours, which gives you time to decide how the changes appeal to you. This approach is the most realistic way to experience the improvements that you are expecting.

Second visit

During this visit we numb the teeth we need to work on.

It is a long visit and could take up to three hours, depending on how many teeth we need to modify.

Our dental technicians will then hand-craft the wafer-thin, high quality porcelain veneers.

Third visit

After a period of about two weeks your veneers will be ready to issue.

During this visit, we’ll inspect them for accuracy of fit and aesthetics before we permanently bond them.

This visit can take one or more hours, dependant on how many teeth we are bonding.